England

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Beers 121 - 140 of 165:

St Peter's, Honey Porter (England) Finished with honey, St Peter's describe this beer as "traditional", and indeed a number of honey porters exist around the world. The colour is a dark caramel brown, and the tan-coloured head dissipates very quickly. On the nose the malt is to the fore, with singed edge to treacle aromas, a definite note of honey, and something a little rotten and vegetal. On the palate it is quite full-bodied, and the sweet note of honey dominates. There is a toast and charry malt note beneath, and the hop level is actually quite good, with a bit of a bite in the finish, but slightly cloying top-note of honey may not appeal to everyone. 4.5% ABV, 50cl, �2.50, 1516 Beer Co, brewery website, Onlyfinebeer.

St Peter's, Lemon & Ginger Spiced Ale (England) There is a lemony-coloured tinge to this golden beer, which pours with a thinnish off-white head. On the nose, ginger is the overriding character, with a real ginger beer spiciness, and a touch of malt peeking through. On the palate I found this beer rather flat and weak: the gingery flavour and heat is definitely there, and there is a hint of lemon, but the slightly watery mid-palate and dilute finish were not convincing. Interesting, and some people may like it more than I did. 4.7% ABV, 50cl, �2.35, 1516 Beer Co, brewery website, Onlyfinebeer.

St Peter's, Old Style Porter (England) St Peter's Old-Style Porter seems almost pitch black at first, but there is ruby at the core and a fast dissipating tan-coloured head. Roasted malts, milky coffee and an intense liquoricy, burnt caramel edge dominate the nose, before a medium-bodied palate that balances nicely between oily, roasted coffee bean and puffed wheat flavours and an intensely sweet, slightly sugary fruit. A dry element in the finish, of hops and drier acidity keeps the picture fresh, in a very quaffable Porter indeed. Almost sneaks 4.5 stars. 5.1% ABV, 50cl, �2.35, 1516 Beer Co, brewery website, Onlyfinebeer, Beerritz.

St Peter's, Organic Ale (England) Made with Soil Association accredited light malted barley from Norfolk and organic Hallertau hops from New Zealand, this beer poured slightly hazy with a very low carbonation giving a thin, lacey head. It has a good level of grassy hops on the nose, with a peppery character and a suggestion of rich, creamy malt. On the palate it is medium bodied and smooth, with a fine, bitter, leafy quality and plenty of bite. There is a bit of malty, nutty weight and richness there, but this is pretty cool and clean on the finish. 4.5% ABV, 50cl, �2.35, brewery website, Pitfield Beer Shop, Vinceremos.

St Peter's, Organic Best Bitter (England) This beer, brewed with organic Chariot malt and organic Hallertau hops, pours a warming, fudgy-colour, with a moderate off-white head. On the nose it has toffee and creamy malt, with a little earthy tone, and a good background of herbal, hoppy notes. On the palate it has a really full texture: a positively creamy body and a raft of bitter, green and hoppy notes suggesting endive and liquorice root. There is a lemony acidity too, and this tangy, mouthfilling beer has a long, very grown-up bitter finish. 4.1% ABV, 50cl, �1.69, brewery website, Pitfield Beer Shop, Waitrose.

St Peter's, Ruby Red Ale (England) Brewed each autumn from Styrian Goldings hops, this beer is indeed a ruby red colour, with St Peter's trademark low carbonation giving a quickly dissipating creamy head. The nose is malty and toasty, with nutty aromas and red fruits to the fore. There's a whiff of freshly struck match too, a touch of clove and some green-tea hops. On the palate it is a bitter beer, with masses of hop flavour. The texture is quite full and creamy, and the charry notes and red fruit character comes through, but that bitter-oil, leafy hop character really dominates in a very grown-up, and for me quite delicious, beer. 4.3% ABV, 50cl, �2.39, brewery website, Onlyfinebeer.

St Peter's, Strong Ale (England) Challenger and Goldings hops along with Suffolk malt brew this dark, coppery-coloured beer with a foamy, quite thick off-white head. The nose has a strong, dry, acorns and malty nut nose, with some grapefruity aromas beneath and a touch of spice. In the mouth it is medium bodied and quite fresh and crisp, with a chewy undertone of grilled meat and again dry, nutty flavours, and that citrussy core of lemon and grapefruit running through. Therer is a dark, bitter malt and hop streak in the finish, that sharpens this up, and makes it rather moreish. 5.1% ABV, 50cl, �2.35, brewery website, Onlyfinebeer.

St Peter's, Suffolk Gold (England) Made with Suffolk-grown malt and First Gold hops, this pours a deep bronze colour with a fast-dissipating off-white head. It has a very attractive nose that is overtly hoppy, with chicory and nettle notes, and a little aromatic, floral lift. There's fruitiness too, in an appealing profile. On the palate the hops don't disappoint, powering through with dry, bitter flavours and a real edge of endive and liquorice. There is a hint of caramel sweetness on the mid palate, and this beer finishes with real harmony as the two meld together 4.9% ABV, 50cl, brewery website, Onlyfinebeer, Beerritz.

St Peter's, Wheat Beer (England) Produced in a European style with Hallertau hops and a special Belgian ale yeast, St Peter's wheat beer pours a cloudy pale yellow, with thinnish white head. It has a bright lemon-fruited nose, with little clove or bubblegum character, and mostly punchy fruit and just a hint of bready yeast. It is very clean and fruity in the mouth, with a medium-bodied texture, but just masses of bright, crisp fruity flavours suggesting ripe pear and lemon zest. There's an odd lack of wheat beer character and bite in this beer, but it is enjoyable, if atypical. 4.7% ABV, 50cl, �2.29, 1516 Beer Co, brewery website, Onlyfinebeer.

St Peter's, Winter Ale (England) This strong, dark ale from St Peter's pours a mahogany brown with a thin, quickly dissipating cream-coloured head. On the nose, chocolate, caramel and toasty malt aromas abound, with a suggestion of mulled wine and plummy fruit sweetness. On the palate this is medium-bodied and surprisingly clean and light, but a whole barrage of burnt toffee, smoke and slightly acrid flavours emerge. There's a liquoricy edge to the beer in a bitter finish. This seems somehow a touch hollow at the core, though I enjoyed the smokiness and grippy finish. 6.5% ABV, 50cl, �2.30, brewery website, Beerritz.

Strongbow, Jacques Fruit Cider (England) This forest fruits-flavoured sparkling cider is labeled as "Strongbow" but is brewed by Sister company Stassen in Belgium and imported to the UK. It has a vivid crimson colour and quickly disippating white head, and offers immediate aromas of very sweet cherry and raspberry fruit, with a slightly bubblegummy character, but lots of ice-cream sundae appeal. On the palate it is quite sweet, with a fruit-beer character, and mouthfilling berry flavours. Alcoholic soda-pop for sure, with no apple or cider character that I can detect, but it is delicious fun stuff in a screwcapped bottle that would be great for sunny days in the garden or park. 5.5% ABV, 75cl, �2.99, Sainsbury's, Sainsbury's.

Teme Valley, That (England) That, has a partner beer called 'This', and this (That) pours quite a dark bronze gold colour with an off-white head that leaves a heavy lacing. The nose displays lots of herbal and seed notes, like sunflower seeds, and has quite a nice, refined balance of hoppy aromas and a hint of richer malt. On the palate it is medium bodied and quite foamy, with a bitter palate of hop flavours (Challenger and Fuggles) and a dry, nutty finish. Quite a tasty, reserved, but refined beer this. 4.1% ABV, 50cl, brewery website.

Tetley's, Imperial Premium Bottled Ale (England) A famous Yorkshire brewing name, now made by Carlsberg. This pours a deep amber colour, with a tight, cream-coloured head. On the nose it has a pleasantly hoppy, sweet malt-edged aroma. On the palate the malt is the dominant character, and the beer is smooth and easy to drink, if a touch underpowered. There is a nice hoppy bitterness and a touch of smoky grain in the finish. A very decent drink without setting the heather on fire. 4.3% ABV, 50cl.

Theakston, Old Peculier (England) Old Peculier is one of the best known traditonal-style ales available in the UK. It has a very dark, ruby-tinged colour and cream-coloured head. On the nose it is dramatically dark and chocolaty, with notes of raisins and dark figgy pudding. On the palate it is quite full and creamy, and it has a nice sharpness of hoppy, bitter edges, to otherwise mellow, gently spicy flavours of Dundee-cake and dark fruits. Lovely stuff, with good complexity and a nicely tangy finish. 5.7% ABV, 50cl, �1.62, Asda, Booth's, Tesco, Waitrose.

Theakston, XB (England) (RP) Theakston's, the famous family-owned brewery in Masham, North Yorkshire, has produced a bottled version of its draught XB. This is part of a major overhaul of brands and promotion since the brewery was returned to family ownership two years after 20 years as a subsidiary of Scottish & Newcastle. It is brewed with pale and crystal malt and brewing sugar. The main hop - as is customary with Theakston's beers - is the Fuggle and units of bitterness are 26. The beer is bronze-red in colour, which suggests a substantial amount of crystal malt is used, a fact underscored by a rich sultana fruit note on the aroma and palate. There is a massive blast of hop resins on the nose from the use of Fuggles, balanced by biscuity malt. Fruit, bitter hops and chewy grain fill the mouth while the finish starts fruity and malty but becomes dry with a final attack of bitter hops. 4.5% ABV, 50cl, �1.59, Oddbins, Sainsbury's, Spar, Threshers, Waitrose.

Thwaites, Liberation Ale (England) Released in bottle in 2004 to commemorate the 60th anniversary of "D-Day", with 10 pence from each sale going to the British Legion charity, Liberation is a dark gold/red ale with a short-lived, off-white head. The nose is very fruity and gently malty, with a nice undercurrent of leafy Goldings hops. On the palate this is a creamy-textured, luscious beer with a big red fruit flavour, a little sweet suggestion, and some malty, biscuity character. There's a good acid balance, with some crispness and freshness in the finish. 5.2% ABV, 50cl, �1.69, Fine Ale Club, Beersofeurope, Peckhams.

Timothy Taylor's, Landlord Strong Pale Ale (England) Beer-loving friends had told me this was not a patch on the much loved cask version, but when I saw it in Sainsbury's I thought it must be worth a try. It pours a deep golden colour with a bright ruby sheen and thick, creamy, pillowy head. Aromas are very fresh and hoppy, with plenty of crisp herbal notes and citrus fruit. There's a hint of something sweet, but no discernable malt character. On the palate it has a rich, mouth-coating texture and an immediately bitter spectrum of flavours with a suggestion of spinach and leafy greens, minerals, and dry, hoppy flavours. There's a little biscuity note of malt in the finish, but this is uncompromisingly dry. Very good indeed, if a touch too unwavering in the finish for me. 4.1% ABV, 50cl, �1.62, Asda, Luvians, Sainsbury's, Waitrose.

Tindall Ales, Liberator (England) This brewery moved to premisis opposite a US Airforce base, where the "Liberator" bomber had been based. Brewed from East Anglian malt and Cascade hops, this beer pours a lightly-hazy medium orange/gold, with practically no head, save a thin, off-white lace. On the nose there is a malty, toasty character and some marmalade-like orange fruit. On the palate it is crisp and fresh, with very low carbonation and quite a thin mouthfeel. Those citrussy, orange and lemon flavours dominate, with a gentle malt note and some background bittering hops. An easy-quaffing session beer. 3.8% ABV, 50cl, �2.50, Beersofeurope, Onlyfinebeer, Realaleshop.

Titanic Brewery, Titanic Stout (England) (RP) The stout is jet black in colour but with the ruby edge that is typical of the style: hold the beer up to a sharp light and there is a transluscent hint of ruby down the side of the glass. The beer throws a dense, barley-white head of foam. The aroma is big and deep, with an espresso coffee and bitter chocolate note, underscored by biscuity malt and tart hops. Liquorice comes through on the palate, while the biscuity malt builds on the tongue. The finish is long, with intense notes of coffee, chocolate and burnt cake from the malts and a lingering hop bitterness. The beer is bottle conditioned with yeast and will improve with age. 4.5% ABV, 50cl, �1.62, Asda, Sainsbury's.

Uncle Stuart's Brewery, Buckenham Woods (England) A dark, live beer that pours a very deep mahoggany colour, with a moderate cappuccino-coloured head. The nose has some liquorice and charcoal biscuit qualities, with a hint chocolaty malt, but quite clean and fruity really, and not burnt and Stout-like. On the palate it is a lot more like a Stout, with nutty, toasted, burnt caramel flavours and a dark, singed edge to it. It stays quite crisp and tart however, with a bright cherryish quality buried in there somewhere, in an interesting and quite complex beer, that is full and smooth, yet finishes with a bit of zing. Almost sneaks four stars. 5.6% ABV, 50cl, �2.50, Realaleshop.